Virgin Railhead 10

I managed to get a little further down the line during the recording of Model Rail Radio.  I can't make full speed progress while listening, but then again, there is no such thing as full speed when it comes to spiking rail and soldering feeder wires.

I need to do some more work on the rust--I still want to add joint bars and some other details to finish things out--I am going to get the rest of the rail down on the module, then enjoy detailing the track.  I have to scratch build a couple of indicator/ground throws as well. 

I am glad that I am keeping things simple plan wise, because the magnitude of building everything by hand is sinking in.

That said, there is a great deal of pleasure in building something from the most basic components.  It was a joy to patch the ballast around the feeders, and watch then disappear. . .

Virgin Railhead 09

Well, I managed to "hotwire" the fast tracks Jig--meaning that I used it without PC board ties.  Instead, I soldered brass jumpers across the top of the rail..  I was just careful to bend the rail to perfect shape so that there was no tension in the rail.  I built both turnouts as one, painted and wired them, and moved them over to the ties.  I had to work back and forth to ensure that it all lined up.  Main rail is code 83, guard rails are code 70, so the tops can be rusted, but not interfere with track cleaning.  I made very minimal throw bars.

Here it is with the spacer bars hovering above the ties.

A couple more generalized views before spiking:

And here it is after spiking, with touch up started:

Looking forward to detailing and straight track. . .

Virgin Railhead 08

Time for Ballast.  Bill (AKA Geezer) over at the Railroad-Line Forums pointed out that I might want to just do weeds and dirt, but I was already ballasting as he was making his post.  As I work on subsequent modules I am going to make some track without ballast--maybe even sunk into a section of swampy ground.

I have a pile of Adobe mix in my yard composed of local sand and clay--it matches the color of the ground, and the very tiny bits of stone match the colors of the local rocks--mixed--so, it seemed a logical starting place.  I sifted the various scales of material out and ended up with everything from "dirt" to "ballast" to "talus", and even some boulders that I have yet to sort out.  All good and useful, and the price can't be beat.  A big advantage of using real stone for ballast is that it does not float, like some brands of commercial ballast.

I ballasted in a fairly conventional way.  I placed the stone between the rail, misted it with alcohol, and then flooded it with adhesive.  The adhesive mix I use is 50% Elmer's Glue All, 25% water, 25% washer fluid.  The washer fluid works very well with acrylic products.  I use plain 70% alcohol from the drug store--nothing fancy, and spray just ahead of where I am gluing.  I don't do any gluing prior to ballast.

I am also a big fan of ballast before rail: no danger of fouling points, or otherwise messing things up.  To my eye, this is the biggest advantage of hand laying track.

I dry brushed everything with Unbleached Titanium White, both before and after ballasting to bring out the detail and add highlights.  As I work, I realize the layout will be indoors most of the time, and adding highlights is important to keep things feeling as if they are bathed with light. 

The prods from folks at the Railroad-Line also inspired me to diagram the rest of the line. I really have the bug--the track work is going well, and I am having fun. I am going to build in modules--which will let me skip around and adjust things as I need to. If I shorten or lengthen, it will be easy to change. I have a good size storage room with one door and no windows that will hold the lot of it.

Scenes from East to West:

1) Cable Works (based on a real cable works for transporting lumber down from higher elevation) The famous "Cable Mountain".

2) Lodge (Loosely based on Zion Lodge).

3) Loco service, once associated with nearby settlement, but now isolated--to expensive to move, so in the middle of no-place--a bit like some remote desert water towers on the UP.

4) Burnt out settlement, loosely based on Grafton UT.

5) Gravel Pit and remnants of flood.

6) Virgin Railhead

7) Funicular to raise cars up and down the lip of the Colorado Plateau. I am thinking of something like the inclines used in Cincinnati Ohio. . . a match for the geographic obstacle I would face if I were making the railroad in this place--and a way to make the railroad double deck (if I get that far), without hidden tracks or a helix.

8) Silver Reef, transfer warehouse to Union Pacific, Transfer Station. Probably need a passing siding here too. Railhead for Silver mines. I want to build some of the historic structures from this mining town--but am Pulling the UP down from Cedar City.

9) Long Causeway over relocated Salt Lake. Think about how the water looked in High Plains Drifter, filmed near Mono Lake.

10) Salt Works.

11) Staging

The great thing about modules is that if I get bored, or want to do something else, I am not left with a half finished model railroad. At the same time, I can get my "bucket list" of things I want to build out here.

There is nothing prototypical about the railroad--though I am borrowing freely from real places, and will borrow scenes from the "ghost rails" that stretch all over Utah.

Virgin Railhead 07

Made it down to the workshop before work. . . my wife had to get up early for her work, so, I found myself with a precious hour--I could start work early, or, hit the workshop.  Which to choose. .

Managed to finish sanding the ties--once I finished blocking the high spots, I hit the whole thing with an orbital sander.  I got it pretty flat--but did not go over board, a little up and down will add charm.  Went over everything with a little Burnt Umber and Davie's Gray.

I am pretty excited by the look.  I worked wet with the paint and it was not an issue.

Little bits of progress really add up!  Not to mention, they have all day to dry, in case I can sneak down tonight!

A good day at the Post office

No bills, the latest Narrow Gauge and Short Gazette, and two Kits from Dave Mason's ON30 IMA--

The kits are impressive.  While not shake the box items, they are clearly well thought, and, they look like they will make great builds.  I am looking forward to making them for sure.  I have added a Link to ON30 IMA on the sidebar.  Looks like fun to me.

Virgin Railhead 06

Dan Pickard raised a concern about the carboard de-laminating, and, I take the concern seriously.  My mad scientist self thought, "if a little Titebond III is water proof and modestly flexible. . . " The die was cast, and I sealed the sides of the foam and cardboard with at least 12 Ounces of the stuff.

A little sanding, and things are moving.  Hopefully this will be adequate--I will see how it drys, sand some more, and maybe add another coat.

Virgin Railhead 05

Managed to get down to the workshop. . . . and, managed to get all the ties glued down.  I went through an entire bottle of Titebond III doing this.  This is my favorite glue by far.  Even as I embedded the new ties into pools of glue, I ran more glue around the existing.  Although this might normally make things noisy, I am hoping that the floating layer of cardboard will more than deal with any vibration.  That bottle next to the glass?  That is bottle number two!

Before I went on a glue binge, I test sanded ties that I glued yesterday.  A big sanding block, at the diagonal worked best--almost like blocking body work.  I think I will be able to tune these twigs very flat.

The progress is not complete--I just wanted to do enough to be sure that I was not on a fools errand.  I am pretty excited by how they will look when the sanding is done and they are weathered.

Although my uncoupling magnets were thicker than the cardboard they will replace, the twigs will absorb the difference.

So, now to leave the glue to dry, dry, dry. . . . tick, tock, tick, tock. . . .